
Luca Favaro is a nurse and in The Sun in a Tear, Favaro attempts to bring to life the real patients he has met and cared for his entire life. Much of his nursing has revolved around patients that many would consider difficult or depressing to care for; such as the elderly, the terminally ill and the mentally or physically challenged. Favaro brings a humanity and a love to these beautiful stories about beautiful people, many of whom will soon die. Some of these patients will give the author the help he needs emotionally and spiritually in what is often the darkest of times for the patient, rather than the other way around. Luca Favaro comes to realise that friendship and love are the two most important things in life and in the universe.
The author’s heartrending account of people’s resilience and triumph over the greatest of odds at a time when they often had every reason to feel hard done by, is inspirational. I particularly enjoyed his stories of his time with the mentally challenged patients. As a person who has worked with these individuals in the past, I recognized and empathized with some of Luca Favaro’s emotions of the time. I also wondered if they were laughing at us, the so called “normal” ones, with all our worries and stresses, while they relaxed, happy in their own little world. This is an exceptionally moving book and one that will bring a tear to the eye of even the most cynical of readers. It was a joy to read and a reminder of what is truly important in life. The Sun in a Tear should be recommended reading for anyone who feels life has been a little bit unfair to them. Kudos to the author.
